NORTHWICH is in mourning for a construction firm boss who died in the tsunami disaster in South East Asia - and fears are mounting for a former Hartford woman who is among the 159 Britons missing.

Roger Hankinson, a former managing director of Northwich construction firm Hankinsons, died while holidaying near Phuket, while Rachel Quinn is among the missing.

Mr Hankinson, who was the MD of the Middlewich Road-based company, lived at Foxwist Green near Whitegate. He was 67.

West Mercia Police, which is comforting members of his family, would not say where and when Mr Hankinson died, and family members have declined to comment at the present time. A family friend said the Hankinsons had been told not to make a comment until after formal identification of the body had taken place.

But Mr Hankinson is among the list of dead at Vachira Hospital on the holiday island of Phuket. It says he died on Boxing Day.

Villager Anne Hogg said Whitegate was in shock at Mr Hankinson's death. She said although he was a private man, he was a respected and well-liked member of the community.

'I knew Mr Hankinson from when I would knock on doors collecting for various causes. He was always incredibly generous.

'He lived a quiet life and didn't bother anyone. He was a nice chap.

Roy Hunt, who lived near to Mr Hankinson on Foxwist Green, remembers his neighbour as a polite and courteous man with a passion for vintage cars.

'He was a private man, but very courteous and he was always very keen to look after the neighbourhood,' he said.

'Every few years he would get the neighbours to contribute toward the cost of repairing the road. His estate was always immaculate.'

Former Hartford woman Rachel Quinn is also believed to be missing.

She had been enjoying a holiday, also on Phuket, when the giant wave struck. Her husband survived but nothing has been seen of the 34-year-old since the catastrophe.

She was educated locally and is believed to have attended Sir John Deane's College before going on to university. She left Northwich to live in London and worked in education.

Her friends and family in Hartford are said to be shocked but are clinging to the hope that she will be found safe and well.

At least 199 Britons are feared killed in the tsunami, Britain's Foreign Office has said, with the overall global death toll standing at around 150,000. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that in addition to the 40 Britons confirmed dead, 159 more are regarded as 'highly likely' to have been victims.